Higher doses of radiation, delivered through
three-dimensional (3D) conformal therapy, have produced far fewer
side effects than expected, according to a national, multicenter
clinical trial conducted by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
(RTOG) and the Three-Dimensional Oncology Group (3DOG). The study,
presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for
Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), was designed to determine
whether 10% higher doses of radiation administered through 3D
conformal therapy could be well tolerated by prostate cancer
patients. According to study chair Jeff Michalski, MD, Not only
were we able to give the higher doses, but the toxicity was much less
than we expected. Only one of the 292 patients in the study had
complications due to the increased dosage. We projected that there
would be 18.

Side Effects and Dosage

Among the side effects that can result from this treatment are
bladder problems and bleeding. Dr. Michalski said that based on
earlier studies, even with the use of lower doses, researchers could
have expected to see 18 patients develop such side effects. With
these results, the study team now plans to increase the dose by 20%.

This study did not evaluate whether the higher dose improved the cure
rate; it was only designed to determine whether patients could
tolerate the higher dose. However, a new, randomized clinical trial
will look at whether the increased doses improve survival in prostate
cancer patients, said Dr Michalski.

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